Serum retinol and total carotene concentrations in obese pre-school children

Obesity among pre-school children and its repercussions on adult life are growing problems, but there has been little research focusing on its relationship with the deficiency of serum retinol and carotenoids in our region. In a case-control study, a group of 46 preschool children, were matched by sex and age (23 obese and 23 non-obese subjects; average age 5.74 and 5.76 years, respectively). Serum retinol and carotenoid levels were evaluated according to Underwood and Sauberlich. Other aspects evaluated included nutritional status using the weight/height z-score (Obesity ZWH > or = 2), serum levels of triglicerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC) and the VLDL-c, HDL-c, and LDL-c fractions, classified according to Kwiterovich. Serum retinol insufficiency was 18.2% vs. 6.7% (p=0.38) for cases and controls, respectively. Low carotenoid levels were found in the obese in relation to the non-obese (82% vs. 26,6%, p=0,0054 and OR=12,4). No statistically significant difference between the case and control groups was found for TC and cholesterol fractions, TG and retinol. The findings for the tested parameters were as follows: high TC (cases 30.4%, controls 21.7%; p=0.50), LDL-c (cases and controls 34.8%; p=0.50), low HDL-c (cases 17.4%, controls 26%; p=0.47), high TG (cases 31.8%, controls 17.4%, p=0.65) and high VLDL-c (cases 21.7% and controls 8.7%; p=0.20). The association of obesity, hyperlipidemia and low serum level of carotenoids, which are essential to antioxidant protection, may be one of many factors predisposing obese children to a high risk of atherosclerosis later in life.